RESIDENTS switching payment methods for council tax have helped to raise nearly £2,000 for charity.
Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's mayor, Councillor Peter Spencer, has seen his civic charity funds boosted by £1,778 thanks to 1,778 people switching to Direct Debit payments over the past year.
The council's director of finance and procurement, Ray Richardson, handed over £1 for every customer changing payment methods.
The charities to benefit will be children's hospice Zoe's Place, in Normanby, the Teesside Hospice and the Diabetic UK Northern and Yorkshire region.
The council's cabinet member for corporate resources, Councillor Glyn Nightingale, said: "Direct Debit take-up improves each year, but this was the largest increase since 1997/1998 and we'd like to think that the charity connection has made a difference."
Coun Spencer, who ends his civic year of office at the council's annual meeting on Thursday, will hand over his cheques at the investiture of the new mayor at Kirkleatham Museum, Redcar, on Friday, May 26.
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